£750,000 Investment for Suffolk Institute of Technology - East Anglian Daily Times Education Page, 18 May 2004

Dr Peter Funnell Assistant Principal (Learning Development) reports on anew development for the Suffolk Institute of Technology

If you have been in the area of the Ipswich Museum recently you will have noticed there’s a lot of activity in the College’s former art school building. Needham Contractors have started refurbishment work to bring this fine building back to life and provide a community facility that will be equipped to meet new learning needs.

There is a rich tradition of learning on the site; indeed the land was originally donated in the middle of the 19th century specifically for educational use. Initially styled the “School of Art & Science”, the building had the same architect as the neighbouring museum and incorporated three northern-lit drawing studios. A central two-storey octagonal atrium allowed room for the creation of larger pieces of arts and craft such as furniture and sculpture. A century later, though, modern teaching methods needed different resources and facilities, and so the art and crafts activity moved into a brand new purpose built block on the main Suffolk College campus and the building was closed.

Now, thanks to an investment of £750,000 by the Higher Education Funding Council, High Street will become the hub of the Suffolk Institute of Technology (SIT). The SIT is one of only nineteen New Technology Institutes (NTIs) developed across England to provide new opportunities for information and communications technology (ICT) training, and support businesses by aiding the flow of knowledge from academic institutions to the commercial sector.

The SIT has already established its credentials with the opening of Learning Point outreach centres at Ipswich Station and in Newmarket, Framlingham and Hadleigh, all of which will now be managed alongside the SIT’s new High Street home. The regenerated building will have ICT courses as its core activity, but the high-specification equipment and flexible use of space will inspire new ways of disseminating knowledge, learning and ideas. The layout of the interior provides areas that are ideal for dedicated applications – there will, for example, be an e-learning suite, an innovations lab and a multi-media content development suite. The central octagonal atrium will act as a contact zone for students, researchers and businesses to talk about challenges and solutions, and will also provide a welcoming venue for seminars and lectures. Refurbishment work will be completed by mid-July, and the facility opened in September.

The use we make of buildings change over time, and this important one in the heart of the town is no exception. However whilst the “Art” may be digital and the “Science” electronic, I have no doubt that the original benefactor would be pleased to know the building is once again a space for creativity, discovery and learning.